Folk music from Romagna: I cavalli sono stanchi

  1. Martin Jonas
    Martin Jonas
    This is an orchestral waltz based on folk music from Romagna, written by the prolific composer, fisarmonica player and music publisher Tiberio Marani from Cesena. It's usually played very uptempo by Italian dance bands with accordion and clarinet lead, but I take it slightly slower which brings out the tune better (alternatively I can't play it any faster -- take your pick).

    All parts played by me, overdubbed in Audacity. I play this as a plucked string quartet, with two mandolins (first mandolin: 1890s Umberto Ceccherini Neapolitan bowlback, right channel, second mandolin: 1915 Luigi Embergher bowlback, left channel), with both tenor harmony/melody and rhythm track on tenor guitar.

    This tune has been in the repertoire folder of our mandolin ensemble for some time, along with two more similar waltzes by Marani, but I am not sure how they got there. This one is the best (and most difficult) of the three tunes, and a bit of a tour de force, but it's a really nice tune and a really nice arrangement.



    Martin
  2. Jim Baker
    Jim Baker
    Well done Martin. I can listen to this over and over.
  3. Martin Jonas
    Martin Jonas
    This has long been one of my favourite waltzes, and I have had two previous attempts at recording it on Youtube -- it's not easy to play, but fun! This one is closer to the intended dance tempo than my older ones, and I think more musical.

    Mid-Missouri M-0W mandolin (x2)
    Mid-Missouri M-111 octave mandolin (mandola in G)
    Vintage Viaten tenor guitar



    Martin
Results 1 to 3 of 3